Roller skate



ROLLER SKATE Filed Sept. 1l, 1948 Fig.1

Fig. 3

IN VEN To@ .f rmx w/HH/v saw/ Patented Nov. 7, 1950 ROLLER- SKATE l Max Wilhelm Schmid, St. Gallen, Switzerland, assignor to Paul Steiger, Herisau,-Switzerland Application September 11, 1948, Serial N o. 48,826 In Switzerland May 9,1946

This invention relates to roller devices or skates with supporting plates or platforms for the engagement of the foot or feet of a person.

According to the invention the wheels or rollers of the device have ball-shaped or sphericalV running surfaces and are supported relatively to the plate, platform or the like by means of axle forks or the like which are so shaped that the lower parts thereof will be disposed together with securing means therefor in the outer ends of the bearing bushes or hubs carried by said rollers, said bushes or hubs being recessed withinthe rollers and the arrangement being such that the maximum inclination of the device may be obtained when taking curves, performing arcs or figures and the like. Y

In order that this invention may be clearly understood and readily carried into effect the same will be hereinafter more fully described with reference to the accompanying drawing which illustrates certain embodiments of the invention by way of example and in which- Figure 1 shows in side elevation a roller skate constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a rear View of the skate shown in Fig. 1 in inclined position assumed when taking a curve;

Figure 3 is a bottom plan View of the rear part of the roller skate shown in Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a section through the rear part of the roller skate taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Figure 5l is a side View of a modified roller skate constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the annexed drawing, I indi- ::'v

cates the supporting plateor platform `of a roller skate, which is provided at its rear endwith aholder 2 adapted to receive the heel of a boot, the forepart of said plate I carrying a pair of clamping jaws 3 adapted to engage the sole of the boot in known manner. The jaws 3 are adapted to be adjusted by meansv of a screw havingnright and left-hand threads and are secured from-shifting longitudinally of the platform. 5

4 and 5 indicate rubber rollers with circular-V or ball-shaped running surfaces while 6 and 'I are forked axle brackets. 6 are fixed on the supporting plate I, while the forked rear axle brackets 'I are xed by screws Ill to a plate 9 which, in turn, is rotatable about a pin or pivot 8 whereby lateraland parallel dis'.- placement of plate member 9 relatively to the The front axle brackets,

11 Claims. (Cl. 28m-'1123) nut III. The lower parts yof the axle brackets 1 are inwardly bent in the manner illustrated in Fig. 4v the `bent parts of the brackets being diskposed within the hollow ends I3 of the bearing bush or hub I4 (Fig. 4)

The bearing axle is indicated by I5 and its length is such that it may -be accommodated within the bearing bush I4. The axle I5 is secured in position within the axle bracket extensions by means of nuts I5a which also come to be located within the bearing bush I4. Two ball bearings I1 spaced from each other by a spacer sleeve i6 are tted on and support the bearing axle I5, the outer ball races of vsaid bearings being connected to the bearing bush I4. V

The bearing bush I4 is embraced over its whole length by the roller 5 which latter is formed of rubber, is flattened at its sides or lateral end portions and is seated on to the bearing bush I4. This structure also applies to the roller 4. Owing to the width of the rollers which amounts, for example, to 5 cm. there is no danger that the rubber body fixed on to the bearing bushes might becomeloose on account of heavy stresses caused by moving in inclined position round curves. In the same way, the rubber prevents any danger of outward slipping.

It is to be noted, that the rrubber body of each g roller consists of spherical or ball-shaped porsupporting plate I, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3. The

tions, eachof which has a radius with the center thereof disposed a predetermined distance from the center of the horizontal axis passing through axle I5, The distance between the centers of the radii for said spherical portions is relatively smaller than the radius of each of said ballshaped or spherical portions, so that an approximate ellipsoidal body is achieved, which has an opening for the insertion of the bush I4, whose diameter is smaller than the distance between the flattened lateral side portions of the roller body.

, The plate 9 is provided at its -forward part with an eye I8 to which are fixed, by means of a nut and bolt I9, two steel strips 20 and ZI arranged to form the letter V which strips extend towards the centre of the roller skate and are located underneath the supporting plate I. The free ends of the steel strips orsimilar spring guide means 2!y and 2| are bored and connected together by a spacer screw device 22 provided with head and nut (Fig. 3). In addition the supporting plate I is formed with a slot'23 in which a longitudinally adjustable abutment pin 24 is supported said pin carrying a nut 25 by means of which it may be secured in position after adjustment. The pin 2d also carries means, such as a washer 26 and a second nut 21 by virtue of which the free ends of the steel strips 20 and 2| are supported and the effective length of said steel strips may be adjusted with respectl to the plate member I.

In the example according to Fig. 1, only the rear roller is arranged to be laterally displaceable, the front roller 4 being fixed. The displacement of the roller 5 is illustrated both in Fig. 2 and also in Fig. 3 (see dotted position of plate 9 about pivot 8). It is clear` from Fig. 2 that the roller skate in running on a curve can assume an inclination of 30 degrees to the horizontal. In a racing type of roller skate, however, the rear half band or holder 2, in which the heel of the boot is normally disposed, is dispensed with and the boot is simply screwed on to the supporting sole I. In this case, the roller skate can assume an inclination of 25 degrees to the horizontal in running on a curve, without the forkedY axle -bracket `extensions or their fastening means- (bearing axle I5 with nuts) or any other parts of the roller skate coming into contact with the ground.

According to the embodiment illustrated in Fig. 5, in -addition to the rear roller,` the Afront rollery 28 is4 also mounted in such a manner as to be displaceable-` In -this case, the forked axle brackets are mounted on a plate 30 which is in turn capable of pivotal movement about a pin 29 carried by the supporting plate i and having a threaded retainingT nut thereon. The plate 39 is adapted to carry an eye 3l to which two steel strips 32l are connected said strips being located underneath the supporting plate I and relatively so disposed as to form a tl-shape (similar to the construction explained with respect to Fig. 3). In Figlj one ofthe strips 32 only is visible. The ends of the steel strips 32 have openings, similarly toV the oppositely located ends of the rear steel strips 2o and 2|, for the purpose of being inter-connected by means of al spacer screw. In addition the supporting plate is formed with a slot (not shown) in which a stop pin 33 is supported in such a manner as to be longitudinally adjustable. The lengths of the front and rear steel strips 32 and 2l), 2l are so dimensioned that the opposing free ends thereof will be clear of each other (Fig..5).

As the rollers have running surfaces of ball shape and as they yare furthermore arranged soV as to be capable of lateral displacement in a plane parallel to the platform or supporting sole, the displacement of said rollers and also the movement thereof from the displaced position (Fig. 3) to the normal position takes place easily. On displacement of the rollers each pair of steel stripsof 4J -form curves outwardly between their point of fixation and the abutment pin either one side or the other according to whether a right or left-hand curve is traversed.

The invention is not limited in its applicaperson, a member mounted for angular movement relatively to said platform, a pair of rollersupporting forked brackets provided with extensions and depending from said member, a pair of resilient strip elements also associated with said member, a stop adjustable longitudinally of said platform with which said strip elements are adapted to cooperate to determine the angular position of said member relatively to said platform, and a r-oller having a ball shaped outer surface and rotatably supported by said brackets, said bracket extensions 4being shaped to project laterally into said roller.

2. A roller skate device comprising a supporting platform for the skaters foot, a first pair of axle supporting forks rigidly mounted at the underside of said platform, a member mounted for pivotal movement at the underside of said platform, a second pair of axle supporting forks carried by said memberfa pair of resilient strip elements associated with said member, a stop adjustable longitudinally of said platform with tion merely to roller skates since it can also be Y which said strip elements are adapted to cooperate to determine the angular position of said member with respect to-said platform, an axle carried by each pair of forks, a roller supported by each axle, each roller having a ball-shaped outer surface, and a bearing bush located within each roller and accommodating therein the respective axle to allow rotation of the roller thereabout, each Vpair of supporting forks being provided with Yinwardlybent ends for engagement with a respective axle, whereby said bent ends and said respectiveaxle are located within said bearing bush.v

3. A roller skate device comprising in combination a supporting platform for the foot of theV skater, a pairof plate members spaced from each other 'and mounted for angular movement at the underside of said platform, a pair of axle supportingforks carried by each member and arranged to extend below saidmember and said Platform, a pair of resilient strip elements also associated with each member, a pair of stops each adjustable longitudinally of said platform and with each of' which one pair of resilient strip elements is adapted to co-operate to determine the angular position of each member with respect to stantially ball-shaped roller means Vhaving central recesses and arranged to extend below said platform, an axle having opposite ends supporting said roller means for rotation, a plate member, a pivot connecting said plate member with said platform whereby said plate member may be displaced in a direction transversely to said platform about said pivot, bracket means provided with extensions and carried by said plate member, said axle of lsaid roller means being supported by said extensions receiving the ends of said axle, saidaxlegendsy and said extensions of said bracket `means being containedwithin said recesses ofY said roller means, springy guide means anchored to said plate member and extending therefrom to said slot, and a pin engaging said,

slot and linked to said guide means, whereby said plate member during displacement about said pivot is guided by said springy guide means relatively to said slot.

5. A roller skate device according to claim 4, wherein said one roller means is disposed adjacent one end of said platform, and a further roller means is arranged for position adjacent the opposite end of said platform, said one roller means being displaceable in lateral direction to said further roller means and in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the axis of said further roller means.

6. A roller skate and like propulsion device comprising an elongated platform for engagement with the foot of the skater and provided with a slot extending lengthwise of said platform, ball-shaped roller means including an axle and arranged to extend below said platform, a movable plate member, a pivot connecting said plate member with said platform therebelow whereby said plate member may be displaced from normal position in a direction transversely of said platform about said pivot, bracket means associated with said plate member and supporting said axle of said roller means whereby the latter may rotate about said axle, and springy guide means connected to said plate member and extending for engagement with said slot of said platform, said springy guide means being adapted to permit displacement of said plate member about said pivot and to serve to return said plate member to said normal position.

'7. A roller skate and like propulsion device comprising an elongated platform for engagement with the foot of the skater and provided with a slot extending lengthwise of said platform, ball-shaped roller means including an axle and arranged to extend below said platform, a movable plate member, a pivot connecting said plate member with said platform therebelow whereby said plate member may be displaced from normal position in a direction transversely of said platform about said pivot, bracket means associated with said plate member and supporting said axle of said roller means whereby the latter may rotate about said axle, and steel strip means connected to said plate member and engaging said slot of said platform to'thereby maintain said plate member in said normal position with respect to said platform.

8. A roller skate and like propulsion device according to claim 7, including a pin movable 6 within said slot of said platform and linked to said steel strip means, and means carried by said pin for adjusting the effective length of said steel strip means with respect to said plate -member.

9. A roller skate and like propulsion device according to claim 7, wherein the axis of said pivot is perpendicular to the axle of said roller means.

10. A roller skate and like propulsion 4device according to claim 7, wherein said bracket means are provided with inwardly projecting extensions by which said axle of said roller means is supported, said roller means being provided with recesses in which said extension means and said axle are accommodated, the outer surface of said roller means extending beyond the ends of` said axle.

11. In a rollable support for engagement with the foot of a person; comprising at least one roller body having a sleeve with opposite ends, and an axle -accommodated in said sleeve, said roller body including spherically shaped surface portions continuing up to the opposite ends of said sleeve, the respective centers of said spherically shaped surface portions being disposed a predetermined distance from each other and from the center of the horizontal axis of said axle of said body, the distance between said centers of said surface portions being relatively smaller than the radius of each of said spherically shaped portions, and opposite flattened side portions on said body through which said axle extends, the extent of said flattened side portions substantially coinciding with said opposite ends of said sleeve.

MAX WILHELM SCI-IMID.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

